Hunting stool



Feb. 17, 1970 A. WAGNER 3,495,554

' .nunnm swoon,

Filed'llarch 4, 1968 INVENTOR 5y ADAM WAGNER Wuwua A TT'0RNEYS United States Patent 3,495,554 HUNTING STOOL Adam Wagner, Garbenheim, Kreis Wetzlar, Germany, as-

signor to Heinz Kettler Metallwarenfabrik, Parsit uber Werl, Westphalia, Germany Filed Mar. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 710,275 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 4, 1967, 1,654,275 Int. Cl. A47c 4/ 44, 9/10; A45b /00 U.S. Cl. 108-128 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hunting stool comprising a horizontally supported planar seat surface having folding arms supporting the surface wherein the folding arms are two-piece seat props preferably consisting of telescopically connected pipes with one end hingedly connected to a standpipe and the other end connected to the seat and wherein each of the seat props is braced in its operative position against the standpipe by a reenforcing prop so that the seat props are swung down to positions alongside the standpipe during transport.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 for application Number K 61,591 filed in the Patent Ofiice of the Federal Republic of Germany, on Mar. 4, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is a horizontally supported planar seat surface having folding arms supporting the surface. The invention relates particularly to a hunting stool which can be readily transported as a seat for hunters, anglers, game spectators, etc.

Portable stools of this kind are known which consist of one upright pipe and at most three props hingedly connected to the head thereof and to the free ends of which a foldable leather seat is fastened. It has also been known to form the standpipe of two pieces so that the stool can be folded up and reduced to smaller size. The standpipe is set up endwise from a short piece of internally threaded pipe, to the outside of which the seat props are hingedly connected, and a longer piece of externally threaded pipe. During transportation the longer pipe section is screwed into the screw threads of the shorter section from above through a hole in the seat leather which has been folded in between the props, whereas in its operative position it is screwed into the same screw threads from below. At its lower end the standpipe is joined to a plate-like disk to prevent it from sinking too deeply into the ground.

A serious disadvantage of the prior art hunting chairs is that when they are in the folded condition the collapsed and often sharp-cornered seat props contact the seat leather from the outside. The props therefore rub continually against the clothing and the weapons of the carrier, especially when the stool is carried for example by a small chain with a carbine hook suspended from a belt or strap. Another disadvantage is that during use the props tend to collapse inwardly so as to grip the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Having in mind the limitations of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a folding stool wherein the seat is free of friction and abrasion during use and in the folded condition.

The hunting chair of the present invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art by providing at the head end of a standpipe several two-piece seat props, preferably consisting of telescoped pipe sections, to the free ends of which the seat leather is connected. Each of the seat props while in the operative position are braced against the standpipe by an additional prop, whereas in their transport positions they are hinged at their lower ends to the standpipe. The additional props are preferably connected pivotally at one of their ends to the seat props and at the other of their ends to a mounting ring that is slidable on the standpipe. It is advantageous to have the mounting ring shiftable on the standpipe and capable of being secured in fixed position thereon. The mounting ring is preferably on a pipe section slidable and rotatable on the standpipe and provided with a bayonet joint for connecting it to the standpipe. It has also been found advantageous to provide at the head of the standpipe, between the hinge bearings of the seat props, an abutment, for example in the form of a peg, for the seat props in their operative positions. To the peg a loop can be fastened which in the collapsed state of the stool projects through a hole in the middle of the seat leather.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING On the attached drawing a particular embodiment of the stool is shown wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view showing the hunting stool in its operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a side view showing the hunting stool in its collapsed condition; and

FIGURE 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing the latching device between the mounting and the standpipe of FIGURE 1.

At the lower end of the standpipe 1 which is formed of the outer pipe 1a and the therein guided inner pipe 1b, a plate-like disk 2 is attached. At the upper end of the outer pipe 1a the headpiece 3 is attached, to which the three seat props 4, 5 and 6 are hingedly connected. Each of these props consists of an outer pipe 4a, 5a, 6a and an inner slotted pipe 4b, 5b, 6b. The inner slotted pipes are fastened to hearing plates 40, 50, 6c which in turn are pivotally mounted on axes 4d, 5d, 6d in the headpiece 3. During use the bearing plates abut against a peg 7 which supports the carrier loop 8.

The seat props 4, 5, 6 are braced by reenforcing props 9, 10, 11 which are U-shaped in cross section and are pivotally connected to the seat props by rivets 9a, 10a, 11a which extend through the slots of the inner pipes, thereby preventing the inner and outer pipe sections from becoming disconnected. The reenforcing props are also pivotally connected by axes 9b, 10b, 11b to the mounting ring 13 which is itself carried in a recess 14a in the pipe section 14. The pipe section 14 is slidable and rotatable on the outer pipe 10:. The pipe section 14 which is provided at its lower end with an actuating handhold 14b, has in its upper end bayonet slots 14c which may be latched onto studs 10 on the outer pipe 1a. The seat leather has a closure strap 15a attached to it and itself is attached to the seat props 4, 5, 6 by screws or similar fastenings 15b, 15c, 15d.

The outer pipe 1a has two borings 1d adjacent its lower end, and possibly also adjacent its upper end for receiving the spring-pressed st-uds 1e seated in the inner pipe to keep the two pipes latched to each other. For this purpose the outer pipe 1a is provided with a guide slot 1h to ensure rectilinear relative movement of the inner and outer pipes. The studs 1e are formed in such a manner that when the stool is collapsed by movement of the pipe section 14 downwardly away from its operative position, the two tubular sections of the standpipe I slide telescopically onto each other. The division of the standpipe 1 into two sections also permits adjustment of the stool to different ground formations.

3 When the stool is collapsed as shown in FIG. 2, the carrier loop 8 may be connected to a spring hook which is carried on a belt or saddle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Another embodiment of the present invention comprises the standpipe formed of at least two telescoped tubular sections which during use are latched rigidly onto each other. For this purpose the inner pipe is provided at its upper end with two resilient studs which in their operative positions, and possibly also in the collapsed state, enter into corresponding boreholes in the outer pipe. To ensure dependable latching of the studs, the pipe sections are rectilinearly guided by each other. For this purpose the inner pipe can be provided with a guide slot along practically its entire length. It is advantageous for the pipe section which is shiftable on the standpipe and which carries the mounting ring for the reenforcing props, to be provided at its lower end with a handhold and to make it long enough so that when the stool is being collapsed, the shiftable pipe section will cooperate with the studs of the inner pipe in such a manner that the studs are pressed inwardly to release the latched connection between the inner and outer pipe sections. Finally, it is also advantageous to attach to the seat leather a leather strap or band with a snap fastener.

By forming the seat props of two parts, it is possible, during collapsing of the stool, to shorten these props to permit them to be swung downwardly and brought into position alongside the standpipe, so that the seat leather is wrapped around the outsides of the props. The reenforcing props, which are connected to about the middle portions of the seat props, are supported against the standpipe in such a manner that the seat props are prevented from swinging downwardly. By the pivotal connection of the reenforcing props with the mounting ring on the shiftable pipe section, which may be latched to the standpipe, loose connections are avoided. When the mounting ring is on a separate pipe section which is provided with a handhold, then it is possible, by merely pushing this pipe section downwardly, to collapse the hunting stool in a manner similar to an umbrella. By rotating the pipe section relative to the standpipe, a simple latching contrivance is used between these two parts. By forming the standpipe of two sections, a substantial shortening of the hunting stool in its collapsed condition is effected.

As a result of the latched connection between the two pipe sections which make up the standpipe and its cooperation with the pipe section that carries the mounting ring, a very simple collapsing of the stool is efiected. For example, the bayonet joint between the standpipe and the pipe section is first disconnected with the left hand, while the right hand holds the standpipe beneath the plate-like disk. If now the pipe section is pushed down with the left hand, then just before the end position is reached, the latched connection between the two pipe sections is disengaged, so as to permit the two sections of the standpipe to be telescoped together. By wrapping the strap around the seat leather which is itself wrapped around the seat and reenforcing props, and fastening the end of the strap, the seat leather is kept securely folded.

Since this hunting stool consists essentially of short tubular sections (disk 2, headpiece 3, bearing plates 40, 5c, 6c, mounting ring 13 and handhold 14b) which can be made of cut-oif pipe sections and plastic parts, its manufacture is inexpensive, and it has the additional advantage for the user of not containing any loose parts.

It will .be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions.

I claim:

1. A hunting stool comprising a horizontally supported planar seat surface (15) of flexible material, foldable and radially extensible seat props (4, 5, 6) each comprising an outer section (4a, 5a, 6a) permanently connected to and supporting said seat surface at its periphery and a telescopically connected inner section (4b, 5b, 6b) hinged 1y connected to the upper end of a standpipe (1), said seat props being braced in their operative positions against the sides of said standpipe by reinforcing props (9, 10', 11) which also serve to swing the seat props down to positions alongside the standpipe for transport while the free ends of the seat props remain connected to the periphery of the flexible seat surface, each reinforcing prop having its lower inner end hingedly connected to a mounting ring (13) supported by a pipe section (14) which is itself longitudinally shiftable upon the upper portion of the standpipe (1) and latchable to the latter by a joint while the upper outer end of each reinforcing prop is hingedly connected to the inner lower portion of its respective seat prop.

2. The hunting stool of claim 1, wherein the hinged connections of the inner sections of the seat props are supported by a headpiece (3) on the upper end of the standpipe 1), the headpiece also supporting at the center of it and between the hinged connections a carrier loop (8).

'3. The hunting stool of claim 1 in which the standpipe 1) comprises an upper outer pipe (1a) and a telescopically connected lower inner section (1b), rectilinear guiding means (111) between the upper and lower section of the standpipe and radially spring-pressed latching studs (1e) for locking the two standpipe sections in a predetermined position relative to each other while in use, the latching studs being in the path of downward movement of the pipe section (14) to release the studs when the stool is being collasped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 523,072 7/1894 Joy et al 108128 XR 816,158 3/1906 Erickson 108l57 991,338 5/1911 Mason 108l57 XR 1,408,581 3/1922 Gaudreau, et a1. 108l57 1,848,475 3/1932 Hackett 10869 1,865,323 6/1932 Liberman 108128 XR 2,137,799 11/1938 Brandenburg 108128 XR 2,604,932 7/1952 Leggett 108128 X-R 3,177,825 4/1965 Jones 108128 JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 108l57 

